According To The variety Berlin-based sales agency Films Boutique has secured the first international deals for Georgi M. Unkovski’s “DJ Ahmet” following its world premiere in the World Dramatic Competition of the Sundance Film Festival, where the film won both the Special Jury Award for Creative Vision and the Audience Award.
Films Boutique has sold the drama to Madman Entertainment in Australia and New Zealand, September Film Distribution in Benelux, Films We Like in Canada, Filmin in Spain, Lev Cinema in Israel, Leopardo Filmes in Portugal and Discovery in former Yugoslavia with further territories already in negotiation.
Julien Razafindranaly, head of sales at Films Boutique, said: “We are particularly thankful to Sundance for having been such a great launchpad for the film. We will long remember the electric premiere at the Egyptian on the opening night of the festival.
“Rarely a film can receive all at once the praise from the critics, the love of the public and the recognition from the jury and we are glad to continue seeing such an enthusiasm from distributors at the EFM.”
The film centers on Ahmet, a 15-year-old shepherd from a remote Yuruk village in North Macedonia, who finds refuge in music while navigating his father’s expectations in a conservative community and his first experience with love — for a girl already promised to someone else.
The film is produced by Cinema Futura (North Macedonia) and co-produced with Alter Vision (Czech Republic), Backroom Production (Serbia), 365 Films (Croatia), Analog Vision (Czech Republic), Film House Bas Celik (Serbia) and Sektor Film (North Macedonia).
The producers are Ivan Unkovski and Ivana Shekutkoska. The co-producers are Michal Kracmer, Veronika Kuhrova, Igor Kecman, Jelena Mitrovic, Katarina Prpic, Vladimir Anastasov and Angela Nestorovska.
It was made with the support of the North Macedonia Film Agency, Eurimages, Czech Film Fund, Serbian Film Center, Croatian Audiovisual Centre, SEE Cinema Network.